Exercise - Nedra

[Guest guest]

Good work, Nedra! I'm glad you're trying to exercise. The bike should

help a lot. Brisk walking is one of my favorite exercises, although I

don't know if you can do it.

I can appreciate how difficult it can be to grip the weights

comfortably. I do weight training with dumbbells, too, and I have some

ideas for you.

I'm not sure which kind you have, but there are dumbbells with a good

variety of comfortable coatings. Like these Reebok foam grip dumbbells:

http://www.fogdog.com/product/index.jsp?productId=233855

I use both neoprene and vinyl dipped. I haven't tried the foam, but they

look good. There is no way I could use the bare metal dumbbells.

There are also a lot of weightlifting gloves available. Not sure that

they will help you, but they might. Check these sites out:

http://www.newgrip.com/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/gloves.html

Or what about a couple of medicine balls? I have a 6 lb. ball, but they

are available in various weights. You can really do a lot with one.

Here's one site that offers them:

http://www.medicineballs.com/

NOTE: I'm not recommending these particular products or sites, just

using them for illustration.

Some products I would recommend are any of Joyce Vedral's workout books.

Specifically, " The 12-Minute Total-Body Workout " may appeal to you. I

did it for a couple of years and really enjoyed it. I use a different

workout of hers now, but only because I needed a change so that I

wouldn't become bored.

The beauty of the aforementioned workout is that it is safe and fast and

efficient and is designed to be performed with two three-pound

dumbbells. Believe me, I was skeptical before I tried it, but it is

amazingly effective. I did move up to five-pound dumbbells after a year,

but it's not necessary. It was convenient, too, because I didn't have to

miss my workout when I wasn't going to be at home. I simply had to bring

the book and dumbbells with me.

The big secret to the routine is what Vedral calls " dynamic tension " -

you apply pressure or tension on the downward or stretch movement, too.

She also uses muscle isolation and the split routine in this workout.

Good photos and descriptions. Also, she herself is photographed doing

the moves. One look at her body, and you know she knows what she's

doing.

Another nice thing is that Vedral has a Web site with further

information, support groups, videos, etc. She will answer letters and

E-mail personally if you have a question or just want to tell your

success story. Geez, I guess I'm sounding like a commercial for her.

If you are interested, here is her site:

http://www.joycevedral.com/

You don't have to buy her books at her site, they are available

everywhere. You can look them over at your local Borders or &

Noble, probably your library, too, or buy them at Overstock.com or

Amazon.com.

Happy exercising!

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] C-reactive protein

> THANKS! I am working on the lifestyle changes. I just started

researching

> this and haven't spoken to my doctor about this specifically yet. I

am working

> out. I have a recumbent bike. I was lifting weights (10-15 pounds)

but the

> psoriatic arthritis in my hands stopped that. I stopped a few months

ago and

> tried 8 pounds last week and it hurt for days. I am trying ankle

weights on my

> wrist and forearms. I can do 6 pounds but feel I could increase it,

just not

> hold it in my hands. I am on a lot of meds and would like to not add

any if

> I can help it. Thanks for the links. I am starting up a file of links

and

> articles to have it on hand when I talk to my doctor.

>

>

>

> Peace,

> Nedra 2 of 5, ADHD, arthritis,+ migraine